Mike Nolan
I'm going to give our grow lights another trial some time next year, I don't think we used the right type of potting soil. We also didn't fertilize it and probably didn't water it enough, either. We did get several tomato plants that were big enough that we took them outside to get natural sunlight for a week or two before we transplanted them into the garden, but I think the tomato plants that bore the most fruit for us this year were from plants we bought from nurseries.
I wish I could find the older First Lady tomato plants, the First Lady II seeds that are their replacement have never impressed me like the First Lady plants we used to get from a local nurseryman who, sadly, passed away a few years ago. Those bore fruit like no tomato I've ever grown, but it was also a great year for tomatoes and the last few have not been for this area of the state, even the pros were having yield issues.
Sometimes lost items never surface, I lost the silicone mat I was using to roll out pastries earlier this year, I finally gave up and bought a new one that has both concentric circles and rectangles so I can use it for pies and things like cinnamon rolls.
I made a batch of bagels today. I'm currently looking at recipes for a sweet potato pie that I hope to make on Christmas eve.
I don't have the skills or patience to decorate cookies, my wife bought some at Hy-Vee yesterday, but I might make a batch of chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, not exactly 'holiday' themed but it was my mom's recipe and it reminds me of home.
It's going to be a Zoomy Christmas, but that's better than gloomy.
King Arthur went 'green' and dropped a lot of items that didn't meet their guidelines for preservatives and other additives. I think that's also why they stopped making their cake flour.
I found a turkey breast that wasn't loaded with brine or salty stock, so that's what I'll make on Christmas, with potatoes, stuffing and gravy.
I made semolina bread today, they smell great!
According to King Arthur, the harvest grains blend has four grains (whole oat berries, millet, rye flakes, and wheat flakes) and four seeds (flax, poppy, sesame, and sunflower).
The Bob's Red Mill 10 grain cereal mix has whole grain wheat;corn;whole grain rye;whole grain triticale;whole grain oats;soy beans;whole grain millet;barley;whole grain brown rice;oat bran;flaxseed, which isn't very close.
We haven't had a toaster oven in a looooong time. There was a recent thread on the BBGA forum about kitchen appliances and someone who put in several Wolf appliances got a Wolf toaster oven as a thank-you and says it is great. (It's $600+, it better be!)
The last Breville thing I bought was probably a stick blender, and I went through about five stick blenders, none of which lasted very long, before I spent the extra money to buy a Bamix. (They invented the stick blender and IMHO still make a good one.)
One of the ones I bought I took apart after it broke. The coupler between the motor and the blade was a cheap piece of plastic that had cracked.
I'm not sure if ordinary powdered milk has active enzymes in it or not, if it doesn't, why does the baker's powdered milk exist as a separate product?
Finishing off leftovers here, might have to actually cook something tomorrow.
I can never decide if I like cherry pie better than apple pie or vice-versa, whichever one I made most recently, I guess. 🙂
I'm seldom happy with the edges of my pies, one of the reasons I like doing a lattice crust is you generally don't flute the edges of one.
I always wonder how people get such perfect fluted edges.
The Austrian Malt Bread makes great oven cheese toast. Spread butter or margarine on slices, top with a tablespoon or two of shredded cheese (we like a four-cheese blend we get at Sams) and put under the broiler until lightly browned.
And I always make the Austrian Malt Bread when we make a fresh batch of Cardinal Preserves strawberry jam.
Pie picture in baking thread. Dinner tonight will be Crab Alfredo on noodles, baked sweet potato and a tossed salad, with cherry pie for dessert. (My wife already had a piece of the pie for brunch.)
Here's the cherry pie I made last night. My wife specifically requested that I not do a lattice crust.
